The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-12-27
Illusions of Childhood.

II am sorry to see," said an elderly gentle
man. yesterday, that the tendency of
parents is to destroy one of the most pleasing
myths of childhood-that of Santa Claus Last
Sunday visited my grandchildren, and I had
not been long in the house before l asked lit
tie three-year-old:
What did Santa Claus bring you to-day.
Williep
why darpa. there is no Sandy Claus"
'But didn't you get some toys and pretty
things2'
Es; but mamma says they came from the
stores down town."
There is telling how much better this lit
tie boy would have enjoyed his presents had he
been taught to believe that there was a veritable
Santa Claus who came down the chimney In the
good oId-fashioned way, and distributed his
gifts while the household was asleep. His
mother, however. thinks it wrong to deceive
child in anything, and fails to distinguish the
dividing line between deception that works
injury and an Illusion which helps to fasten
the youthful mind the recurrence of day that
ID celebrated by all Christian people"
Another little boy whose faith in the genuine
ness of the mythical friend of children had
been nearly shaken by the talk of his elder
brothers and sisters. attended a Sunday-school
entertainment last week and there a made-up
Santa Claus distributing presents TO the schol-
ars A day or two later, when Christmas came,
and with 1T many of the TOYS and other things
he had wished for, any amount of argument
could not have convinced him there such
person. His first words in the morning were
praises for the good Santa Claus, and his last
words night before falling asleep were:
Mamma l wish Santa Claus would come every
day IN the year"
A winsome little miss was accompanying her
father down town Christmas afternoon, and
they approached the business part of the city,
a police patrol-wagon dashed by The little girl
saw it, and from the excited movements of the
horses, supposed it a fire wagon, and said
to her father: Papa, there must be fire some
where.
mo, my dear. that is only the police wagon
taking some drunken men 10 the station house,
why, papa, thought everybody was good
on Christmes. and that nobody got drunk"
1t took her father some time to explain that
certain class of people always took advantage of
holidays TO get drunk. and that Christmas, even
If 1t came on Sunday, was no exception.
A Business That Ought Suppressed
Now that Superintendent Travis has prac-
ticaly broken up the dsreputable dances there
other evils that should be given at
tention," said gentleman yesterday.
''What some of theml"
Zone is the selling of liquor to minors in the
class of saloons known relhouses,' with
which Indianapolis seems to be cursed An ordi-
nary saloon is bad enough but one barIel-houss
is more degrading than dozen saloons. and
the dozen such places in the city doing more
to make drunkards out of the youth than all the
saloons combined They frequented by boys
because the whisky can be bought cheap there.
It's only five cents drink, and person helps
himself You just drop your nickel in box,
and go and fill your glass and drink it. Some
times. if the proprietor isn't watching. you can
get two glasses for five cents. The whisky, of
course. is OF the very worst kind. If it wasn't
it couldn't be sold so cheap. A boy doesn't take
many drinks of 1t until he is in a fair way
become a drunkard. There but few cities
that tolerate the places, aud Indianapolis should
not